4th Edition, a Scout Staff, and Trilateration

Greetings Wndsn Aficionados

Fresh from the mind of WNDSN, the 4th edition of the Official Time & Space Manual advances the body of information regarding our growing suite of telemetry tools. Now available, the 4th edition provides a more complete understanding of how to independently calculate crucial measurements that we often ignore, take for granted, or assume are impossible outside of highly involved, highly technical contexts.

Ancient navigational methods are ever relevant and this newest edition of the manual expands the modern user’s understanding of astronomical systems, providing concise and tangible instruction. The 4th edition reiterates the constituent concepts of calculating distance with revised fundamental graphics; all existing material is included and updated, including the Time & Space addendum that previously introduced setup, history, as well as the functions and tutorials regarding understanding the ancient foundations behind the measurement of time and date.

The 4th edition includes,

• 140 pages more than the 3rd edition and 30 new topics
• 129 graphics, increase of 57 from the 3rd edition
• 22 tables, increase of 5 from the 3rd edition
• 40 equations, increase of 16 from the 3rd edition
• 77 entries in the bibliography, increase of 39 from the 3rd edition

An abridged version of the 4th edition is available as a free download with every Telemeter. At 212 pages, it is pared down to just setup instructions and tutorials. For those who bought Telemeters in the past, you should have recently received an email with the link to the PDF file.

Efficient learning and accessible information is the overarching goal for the 4th edition. The examples and tutorials utilize only the most salient formulas and only require the Quadrant for measurements and computations (plus pen and paper for note-taking). The expanded reference section is a standalone resource for emergency or austere situations. Whether novice, seasoned practitioner, or educator looking to demonstrate mathematical concepts in tangible ways, you will find solutions within the pages of the 4th edition.

Available in our store, or on Amazon, or in any other bookstore with the ISBN 979-8691884504.

Shipping

As the international postal system continues to be severely affected by the impact of Corona, check this page often to see who's back online.

Thank you!

--Alexander Becker

Outdoor enthusiast Ken from California shares his modification of his scout staff with a Telemeter added. He says,

“I have been enjoying the Telemeter immensely; before I was using notches on my Wanderstock to measure degrees, the Telemeter brought it to a new level. I printed a paper copy of the Telemeter, glued it to my 4-section trekking stick, and then covered/sealed it with clear shrink tubing. I hold it with my wrist bent at arm's length at 57 cm. The string is held in place at the top and bottom with o-rings, with the handle grip serving as the baseline. I stand my partner at 20 m and attain his height in degrees. The string going through the 20 gives his height on the right. Locking the string in at that height with the right o-ring, and then moving the string to the current degrees gives me the distance. Love it, very handy!”

Thank you Ken for sharing your innovation.

Your innovations drive our work forward. We love to hear about your experiments and discoveries. Please join our Telegram chat and share, or email us at info@wndsn.com.

The Wndsn Monthly Challenge continues:

Each month we are exploring one of the many useful functions of the Wndsn Telemeter. We post instructions and invite you to try out each exercise, either to practice what you know or to learn something new. If you have a Telemeter and want to start using it, this is perfect for you. Make this the year you get to grips with essential navigation skills by following along.

What you'll need:

• Pick up one of our Telemeters and join the fun.
• Follow and use the hashtag #wndsnmonthlychallenge in your posts on Instagram or Facebook.

As always, we will make special rewards available for people who participate in this challenge during the year, as we see fit.

Here is this month's installment:

Trilateration

Trilateration is the geometric solution for determining the location of an unknown position, based on the distance to other two known vertices of a triangle. And as enthusiasts have realized, most everything can be reduced to triangles.

Only distances are measured to the known points. The method is to only use distances to landmarks, using a Telemeter and a map, we can trilaterate by measuring distances to known landmarks to get LOPs (lines of position) and a position x. We measure the angular sizes of the landmarks which we have both on the map and which we have dimensions for. With the nomogram, we determine the distance from our vantage point to the landmarks using the angular size and the known dimensions. With the resulting distances, we draw circles around the landmarks on the map, creating circles, or ‘arcs of position’ with the intersection being our position x. Three landmarks create a triangle of probable position, two landmarks create an intersection with invisible margin error. Also note that two circles of position create two intersections, and hence two position x. If you note the order of observed landmarks and compare it to the map, only one of the two x has the right order.

For best results, the angle between landmarks should approach 90 degrees and the landmarks to determine distances should be as close to the vantage point as is practical.

Ingredients:

1. Map (and tools)
2. Telemeter
3. 2-3 landmarks

Find two-three landmarks of known dimensions and try to determine your position on a map. Report your insights in text or picture and share your results on Instagram with the hashtag #wndsnmonthlychallenge.

Find more tutorials in the manual. Instruments for the mastery of time and space available in the store.

New products will be announced first in this newsletter; please stay tuned for more. Please note that due to high demand, some designs may be out of stock fast. See what's in stock in the New Arrivals stream.

Watch this space, and never stop exploring!

P.S.: Once you have made your order, feel free to share and/or forward this newsletter to your friends. Thank you!

Join the Wndsn Expedition Team and share your pics and stories for exclusive access to early releases.

Tag your adventure, expedition, or exploration pictures, share your experiences and display your gear, hashtag #wndsnworld.

A very special place where enthusiasts share their Wndsn adventures and instrument hacks is our Telegram chat, feel free to join us there.

Also, we have a presence on Facebook, where we share intel and new adventures as they happen.

Happy exploring! (And always feel free to contact us at info@wndsn.com.)